Usefulness of Validation Method as a Tool for Understanding Psychosocial Needs of Disoriented Elderly People with Dementia

抄録

One of the current subjects concerning elder care is how we can provide better care to disoriented elderly people with dementia. In addition to evaluation criteria applied to elderly people generally, practitioners need a tool to evaluate disoriented elderly people's psychosocial difficulties/challenges caused as well as physical functioning and mental status. In order to operate such a tool appropriately, practitioners should have enough communication skills. Validation method sets four stages of disorientation according to the verbal communication functioning of disoriented elderly people. By focusing on their emotions and using techniques corresponding to each stage, practitioners can maintain communication with those disoriented elderly people until they go into the last stage of their life. Validation theories and techniques give practitioners better understanding of disoriented elderly people with dementia, and make it possible that such elderly people participate in assessment process.